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“Excuse me?” Jaemin asked in disbelief. Did he hear wrong? “You want me to do what?” He eyed the stranger next to him from head to toe and groaned inside his head. Who the fuck would wear an Armani suit to a gay club?
“Can you drive me home?” The man asked the second time shamelessly. Oh hell, this person must have lost his mind.
“Do I look like an Uber driver to you?”
“You look sober.”
“Fuck yes, anyone would if a stranger suddenly asked them to be their driver,” Jaemin scowled and the man leaned towards the bar counter and sighed loudly.
“Look, I just need help. I’m drunk, I can’t drive like this.”
“Then call a cab, weirdo.”
“I have my own car, why would I need that?”
“So you rather just have a random stranger take you home?” The man stared quietly at Jaemin for a good 5 seconds before he finally stood up, reached into his pocket and opened his wallet.
“No,” Jaemin already said. “I don’t care how much money-“
“What’s your name?” He interrupted.
“What?”
“Your name.” Jaemin fell quiet. The stranger before him raised an eyebrow at his behaviour.
“Jaehyun.” He decided and secretly apologized to his brother in his heart for using his name.
“Hi, Jaehyun,”The man slid a card across the counter. Oh. A business card. “I’m Lee Jeno.” Jaemin glanced and saw the name he just heard and the word manager under it.
Oh, he recognized that logo. It’s a café he’s been to.
“So?” Jaemin questioned, clearly unamused.
“So now that we’re no longer strangers, please drive me home,Jaehyun, I’ll even pay you.” Lee Jeno smiled, reaching into his pocket again to pull out his car keys this time, shaking them in the air.
The letter B in silver caught Jaemin’s eyes immediately. Of course he drives a Bentley. He wanted to roll his eyes so bad.
“There’s so many people in this club. Why me?”Jaemin wondered just what did Lee Jeno drink that made him so brazen like this. He wants 7 bottles of that.
“Because it’s been 2 hours since you walked through that entrance and took a seat here. You didn’t move an inch.” Hearing the explanation Jaemin blushed red.
Oh my God. Jeno was right.
Jaemin didn’t drink a sip of alcohol and was only here to celebrate his friend’s birthday. The friend that was dancing with the rest of the squad like there’s no tomorrow on the dance floor right now. He was in no mood to party because of work today so he was just watching and waiting for the hours to go by. Maybe he should leave already, he still had work to do the next morning.
“How much?” He turned to Jeno, after gulping down the rest of his coke.
“You put the price.”
“What are you? Some kind of rebellious prince?”
“You think I look like a prince?” This time he really did roll his eyes. Jeno let out a chuckle.
“A prince doesn’t necessarily mean they’re good looking.” Jaemin said and the man next to him placed a hand over his heart dramatically.
“Oh, I’m so flattered.”
“If you have the sanity to be arrogant then you should just drive yourself.”
“Are you suggesting drunk-driving that could lead to accidents and the possibility of hurting not only me but also innocent citizens?” Smart mouth. Jaemin felt like pinching it off. But instead he stood up.
“Fine. I’ll meet you outside, let me tell my friends.”
***
“Do you like it?” Jeno asked as he was fastening the seatbelt in the passenger’s seat.
Jaemin could feel Jeno’s eyes on him as he started the car. The engine roared.
Now that they were under a bright light Jaemin could see his hazy eyes. He was not as drunk as Jaemin had expected. Jeno must have known his alcohol tolerance very well, stopping himself just a glass away from his limit.
“I appreciate a good car,” Jaemin told and the other hummed in reply.
The engine roared and Jaemin gave it a few seconds to warm up before hitting the pedal, driving out of the parking lot and towards the busy street.
It was only 9pm on a Friday night and the town was still alive. As they reached a stoplight at the main road Jaemin turned to the sleepy Jeno.
“Dude, don’t fall asleep on me. Where do we go from here?”
“Eastern Villa. “
Oh. It was an area Jaemin was familiar with, around 15 minutes away from Jeno’s café. How long would it take from where they were? Half an hour. Damn that’s quite a long journey to be in a car with a stranger. But it was only a few blocks away from Jaemin’s residential area. Maybe he could call Jaehyun to come pick him up. Did he say he gets off at 10pm that morning? Oh whatever. He would think about it when he faces it.
Jeno let out a sneeze and apologized after.
Jaemin suddenly was so aware of the silence in the car. Just the sound of the car signals turning on and off every few seconds. He cleared his throat.
“Do you mind?” He said, almost like a whisper. “If I turn the radio on?” That would make this less awkward right?
“Yeah, go ahead.” Jeno didn’t even give it much thought until Jaemin actually turned it on and a famous intro started started blasting from the speakers.
“Fuck,” He cursed and immediately lunged forward to turn it off. Fuck. Jeno wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in there forever. Perhaps even forever wouldn’t lessen his embarrassment.
He quickly scrambled for his phone and tried to turn the bluetooth off but suddenly he heard the music booming once again and Jeno turned towards Jaemin who was still driving innocently.
“I’m the Drama—“ Jeno lunged forward to turn it off but Jaemin slapped his hands away.
Jeno swallowed and the car came into a halt at another stoplight. They finally met eyes since the moment they got into the car. Jeno’s stomach was doing turns.
“Who’s your bias?” Jaemin finally said, smiling at him. Not the ‘you’re such a weirdo’ kind of smile that he used to get. But a genuine smile with a hint of excitement.
“Giselle…” Jeno replied, still waiting for that mocking laughter to come. But it didn’t. Instead, Jaemin started to sing along to Drama with a little head bob and hand signs. What the hell?
“Mine is Ningning,” He said in between the lines.
“You’re a…”
“MY!!!” They said at the same time and Jeno felt like screaming. What were the odds?
“Dude, you-“ Jeno could finally let out a deep breath. “You scared me, I thought you’re going to make fun of me!” He told Jaemin and the other giggled at the thought.
“Yo, I never thought I’d went home with a MY when I went to that bar but this is great, this is really great,” Before this if someone said they’re a kpop stan, he would probably look at them with dirty looks.
But now that he is part of the community, Jaemin was over the moon upon his new discovery. Aespa does change lives.
Jeno seemed equally thrilled to find out about their common interest.
“Wait a minute…your café? Is that why Le Kaféin always holds cupsleeves events for every birthday of the girls and anniversary?” Jaemin asked, starting to bounce joyfully in the driver’s seat.
“Yeah!” Jeno was nodding eagerly. “It was my idea in the first place and I reached out to various fansites to make it happen. Did you ever join us?”
“Always, man! That café is not far from my house so of course I had to go!” Jaemin told Jeno, just as the song Dirty Work started playing in the background.
“Could you be…”
“…someone I know from stan twitter?”
“Nah…”
“I don’t think so,” Jaemin shrugged and Jeno nodded in agreement.
Not long after that they reached their destination at the villa, feeling a hint of regret. They should have talked to each other since they were at the club. It’s not easy to find a fanboy and talk about the fandom freely without judgement these days. So when Jaemin unbuckled the seatbelt, Jeno quickly got the chance and asked him the important question.
“Would you like to come up?” Jaemin gazed at him blankly. “We can watch some of their stuff and talk about them more…I mean if you want?” Jeno didn’t want to come off annoying but he was really reluctant to let Jaemin go for some reason.
Looking at his watch, Jaemin still had half an hour before Jaehyun would come back from his studio. He could leave a message and hang out with Jeno while waiting.
“Do you have ramen?” Jaemin knew the connotation of that and Jeno laughed as he heard it.
“I’ll make the best one you’ve ever had”
***
“You lied to me,” Jeno said, eyes swollen and voice hoarse from all the alcohol he chugged last night. “Jaehyun called you 15 times last night, what’s your real name?” Jaemin who just returned from doing his business in the toilet was investigated by the still sleepy Jeno, wrapped in his duvet.
What the fuck happened last night?
“Shit, that was my brother. I told him to pick me up last night.” Jaemin rushed towards the phone placed on the vanity, thoughtfully charged by probably drunk Jeno before he was knocked out.
“So you are?”
“Jaemin.”
“Mr. Jaemin, you really can’t drink. You’re out after like 3 glasses of soju.”
“Thanks for pointing that out. I deeply appreciate your observation.” Jeno chuckled at Jaemin’s sassy reply. But out of sudden his face fell.
“Don’t ever drink with a stranger again. You’re lucky I’m a good guy.” He said seriously and Jaemin placed his hands on his hips and asked with zero interest.
“So you’re saying we didn’t sleep together?”
“Technically we shared a bed but you haven’t met little -“
“Thank God,” Jaemin sighed, trying to put his shirt on before Jeno stopped him halfway. “What? Why? Did I puke on my shirt last night?”
“Geez, seriously? I was the one who drank more but you blacked out completely?” Jeno finally got out of his bed with his messy hair that Jaemin found a little cute. He went to his closet and pulled out a t-shirt.
“Wear this. Your shirt has a stain. Leave it, I'll have it cleaned.” Jaemin was unimpressed.
“You think I don’t have a washing machine at home?”
“I just think I’m responsible for this little spot of alcohol because it happened at my house, in my presence.”
“I am an independent man! I don’t need you to wash my mistake away. I will take accountability for everything these hands have committed.“ Jaemin dramatically said, making Jeno smile sweetly. His chest hurt looking at his charming face.
“Okay, that’s enough.” Jeno shook his head and gently took the shirt out of Jaemin’s hands. “You play too much, do you know that?” Jaemin tilted his head like an innocent child.
Jeno just couldn’t help but run his fingers through the blonde strands, the man screeching at the act.
“Don’t touch my hair! You ruined it!”
“They were messy even before!”
“I styled it in the bathroom!”
“You’re lying.”
“Excuse me!”
DING DONG!
They both stopped in their tracks.
“You ordered breakfast?” Jeno asked, wondering if Jaemin had ordered breakfast while he was still asleep since the other woke up a few minutes earlier than him. But Jaemin shook his head.
“You’re having a guest over?” It was Jeno’s turn to shake his head.
“Well, maybe it’s the management. I’ll go change while I check.” Jaemin nodded and watched Jeno leave the room.
He couldn’t believe he blacked out last night. Why was his tolerance so low? Was it because he had not drunk for a month before this? God, how embarrassing he must be? Wait, he had a habit of being overly clingy when he’s drunk! Shit, what did he do last night? Jeno must be drunk too right? Jaemin prayed that Jeno didn’t see that side of him and if he did, God would wipe his memory clean.
Never again Na Jaemin!
“NO, WAIT!!!” Jaemin heard Jeno said. “YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU’RE COMING!!!” Oh shit.
‘Must be his girlfriend! What should I do?
Hey, we didn’t do anything wrong! I will stand my ground. After all, we're two men. Things like this could happen, right?’
And so Jaemin swung the bedroom door open and met eyes with a middle-aged woman standing in the middle of the living room, Jeno on her side. His eyes widened at the sight.
‘IS THIS HIS SUGAR MUMMY?’
Jaemin watched as Jeno mouthed ‘go back inside’ repeatedly but before he could move an inch the woman suddenly spoke.
“Ah! Is this the sweetheart you talk about,Jenjen?”
Wait,WHAT?